Home is Where One Starts...

About

Home is Where One Starts... is a short, first-person exploration game that tells a poignant story about childhood, hope, and memory. It draws inspiration from the rural American South and literature like John Steinbeck's East of Eden and Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life. The game features a quiet, non-linear narrative and can be completed in 15-30 minutes, with a focus on atmosphere rather than action or puzzles.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 684 reviews

story110 positive mentions

replayability10 negative mentions

Beautiful graphics and calming atmosphere that evoke nostalgia.
Touching narrative that resonates with players, especially those with similar childhood experiences.
Good voice acting and music that enhance the overall experience.

Extremely short gameplay, often completed in under 30 minutes.
Limited interactivity with few objects to examine, leading to a feeling of emptiness.
Invisible walls and slow walking speed can hinder exploration and immersion.

story
510 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
76%
3%
The game's story is a poignant exploration of childhood memories, focusing on a girl reflecting on her difficult upbringing in a broken home. While many players appreciate the emotional depth and atmosphere, they also note that the narrative feels sparse and lacks depth, often requiring players to piece together the story through exploration rather than direct storytelling. Overall, the experience is described as short yet touching, with a mix of beautiful visuals and a melancholic tone, though some feel it could benefit from more substantial content and character development.
- “A beautifully designed game where you can relax and experience the childhood story of someone else, with your own eyes.”
- “The graphics, the details, the music... it creates a calm atmosphere while telling this deep and sad story.”
- “It’s an experience where every object has been carefully placed to tell a poignant story—a story about childhood, hope, and the miracle of memory.”
- “The story is very sparse and feels unfinished, but the gorgeous outdoor setting is pleasant to explore and spend time in.”
- “There isn't really any story to speak of and what 'story' there is is flat, cliched and predictable.”
- “Unfortunately, it just doesn't have any depth beyond 'sad home, alcoholic dad/absent mom, kid wants to leave.' as other reviewers have mentioned, the interactive items are scarce and don't provide much, if any, insight into the story or characters.”
music
152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
41%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to create a calming atmosphere, effectively complementing the narrative and visuals. While many players find the soundtrack soothing and fitting for the game's emotional tone, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered a strong point, enhancing the experience despite the game's short length and limited interactivity.
- “The music is soothing, calm, and very pretty and fits the atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and the narration is one of the best I've experienced, mixing with the atmosphere to give you a fantastic feeling of nostalgia.”
- “The music in this game fits the story perfectly, just a combination of the sections of voiceovers, the story the game tells, it's all perfect!”
- “I'm a fan of walking simulators but what they lack in gameplay they usually make up for in story, art, and music, but this game does none of that.”
- “This is a 30-minute game with no ability to save, where you wander around a big empty area full of repetitive textures, with the same song loop repeating over and over, which while calming at first, gets tiring after the first 10 minutes.”
- “The soundtrack could have been longer; it's the same dull music over and over and over.”
graphics
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
39%
9%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals and atmospheric lighting, particularly for an indie title from 2015. However, many also note that the graphics feel outdated and limited, often comparing them unfavorably to more modern walking simulators. Overall, while the visuals contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, they are seen as a significant drawback by others, with some glitches and primitive designs detracting from the experience.
- “I've played multiple runs simply because I loved the atmosphere generated by the visuals, the sound effects, and the story of this game.”
- “The game offers some pleasant graphics and really vibrant colors, although some ugly glitches here and there, it is pleasant all the same but you can easily tell the game was made with the Unity engine.”
- “The game is really relaxing, and the graphics are amazing, as well as the lighting.”
- “First thing first, the graphics and world really let this game down.”
- “Graphics don't always make the game, but this has been made using an engine that was used over 10 years ago by the looks of things, and so doesn't really fit in with other modern games.”
- “This game is limited even if it offers exploration, with its invisible walls everywhere and frankly the visuals aren't that nice or too appealing to give you that desire to stop and admire the look, neither does it encourage exploration as the area is very boring.”
atmosphere
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
32%
3%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, enhanced by calming visuals, realistic sound effects, and poignant storytelling. Players appreciate the nostalgic and melancholic tone, which evokes personal memories and feelings, despite some minor technical issues. Overall, the atmosphere is described as tranquil, immersive, and a key highlight of the experience, making it a compelling choice for fans of atmospheric storytelling.
- “I've played multiple runs simply because I loved the atmosphere generated by the visuals, the sound effects, and the story of this game.”
- “The detailed woodland, amazing voice work, great atmosphere, and secrets sprinkled throughout all add up to a gorgeous little exploration game.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and the narration is one of the best I've experienced, mixing with the atmosphere to give you a fantastic feeling of nostalgia.”
- “I feel this game failed to suck me in with any atmosphere, and the fact that it costs almost half of what Dear Esther does (when not on sale), a game that has more land to explore, greater atmosphere, better narration, and more interesting visuals just makes me unable to call this a worthy purchase.”
- “The only thing this game has going for itself is the fairly soothing and melancholic atmosphere, which it manages to pull off despite the outdated graphics.”
- “It has that same tone and atmosphere, but it's just not as mysterious or as emotional.”
emotional
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a mixed experience, with many players finding it touching and relatable, particularly in its exploration of childhood memories and familial struggles. While some reviews highlight its heartwarming narrative and calming atmosphere, others feel it lacks the depth and emotional impact of similar titles like "Gone Home" or "Dear Esther." Overall, it is seen as a short but meaningful journey that resonates with players who appreciate subtle storytelling and personal reflection.
- “A very short but heartwarming adventure.”
- “Touching little indie experience about remembrance, letting go of memories and the place you call home.”
- “Given the overall impact the game had on me emotionally, I would highly recommend this title to anyone who can see the beauty in subtlety, and who is not deaf to the heart-aching power of memory.”
- “The one good thing I would say about this game is the voice actress has a very compassionate voice and does her very best at trying to put emotion and feeling into what is largely a bland and boring story.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
75%
6%
The gameplay is primarily a "walking simulator," characterized by slow movement and minimal interaction, which many players find dull and lacking in polish. While some appreciate the narrative and voice acting, the overall experience is hindered by repetitive mechanics and a lack of engaging content, leading to mixed reviews regarding its value and replayability. Despite its artistic intentions, the gameplay often feels empty and underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more depth and action.
- “Well written, and there's a bit of collecting gameplay that ties in with the story in both spoken and visual ways.”
- “Gameplay mechanics are good for the genre; the sounds are crisp and realistic and the graphics work well.”
- “Home is where one starts sets the stage for a unique gameplay experience where players could have easily recaptured the long lost essence of their childhood.”
- “The scenery is below average, the world building is done only through stumbling upon voice recordings and even the gameplay is just playing hide and seek with random objects (you are it).”
- “Even as an inexpensive game, I cannot recommend this because the gameplay has a lack of polish that takes away from the fun of exploring the little amount of game content that you would expect.”
- “A quintessential 'walking simulator' as that is pretty much all of the gameplay and you can't even run.”
replayability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
46%
42%
The game has been widely criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that it can be completed in under an hour and offers little incentive to play again beyond collecting achievements. It is described as an "art" game focused on experience rather than gameplay, resulting in minimal replay value. Overall, players seeking a longer or more engaging experience may find this game lacking in replay potential.
- “🔲 infinitely replayable”
- “This is one of those 'art' games that try to give you an interactive experience rather than offering gameplay and replayability.”
- “All in all, this game is so small that it could be played on the tiniest violin, so there is some replay value there.”
- “It's short, I beat the game in less than an hour. Now I'm going through it again to grab all the achievements, but other than that, there isn't much replayability.”
- “So if you're looking for a long walking simulator with replayability, this is not the game for you.”
- “Since there is no branching or any sort of time-dependent events, the game lacks any replay value unless you’re looking for achievements.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often requiring long hours to farm items that have low drop rates. The inclusion of artificial difficulty, such as obscured visibility due to tall grass, further exacerbates the tediousness by making it harder to locate objectives.
- “The game was given artificial difficulty, increasing its playtime by featuring whole fields of tall grass that hindered visibility and, as a result, required the player to search tediously for their next objective.”
- “Don't let the hours played fool you; I was farming the cards which only drop after 2 hours and so on.”
- “Grinding can be tedious.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits a mix of vibrant graphics and occasional glitches, including scenery traversal issues and crashes, particularly on PC. While the overall experience remains enjoyable, the stability could benefit from further refinement to address these technical shortcomings.
- “There are a few glitches that could use work - I occasionally walked through scenery, the game occasionally crashed, and it appears to freeze when attempting to close. This could be due to my only being able to play on PC and not owning an Oculus.”
- “The game offers some pleasant graphics and really vibrant colors, although there are some ugly glitches here and there. You can easily tell the game was made with the Unity engine.”
- “There are a few glitches that could use work - I occasionally walked through scenery, the game occasionally crashed, and it appears to freeze when attempting to close. This could be due to my only being able to play on PC and not owning an Oculus.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in games like "The Stanley Parable" is highlighted as a key element that enhances the overall experience, blending wit with deeper themes. Players appreciate how humor can coexist with other tones, showcasing video games as a versatile medium for artistic expression.
- “I enjoyed The Stanley Parable for its humor and bits to uncover.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews do not provide specific insights into the monetization aspect of the game, focusing instead on its emotional narrative and storytelling. Therefore, no clear summary regarding monetization can be drawn from the provided texts.